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might have suddenly suffered a disorder of the ears and not heard. As it was, his honor did not demand deafness. Archers, who had been shooting at the men who strove to push away the scaling ladders, turned their bows on the oncoming forces. |
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The battle was soon joined in earnest, but, before anyone could guess which way it would go, a new and totally unexpected factor was introduced. The gates of the keep opened, and men began to ride out from behind the walls they had so lately defended. Into Alinor's mind leaped the conviction that the battle had been a ruse to cover Ian's death. It seemed to her that a man so lost to honor and faith as Sir Peter would not care how many died to hide his sin. To give strength to her conviction, the gates were not shut after the men came out. |
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Alinor did not stop to think that shutting the gates would be a useless and dangerous gesture when enemies who could reopen them were already on the undefended walls. Neither did she wait to see with which party those who came from the keep would side. |
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"That is my keep," she cried furiously. "Mine! The gates are open. Come, let us go to defend it." |
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Desperately, Sir Guy reached for her reins. If she killed him, it would only be another kind of death, but to allow a woman to ride out onto a battlefield was against everything he had ever believed or been taught. He was, however, too late. The sturdy mare had leapt forward, driven by whip and urgent heels. The men did not even look at him. They charged right after their lady, only too eager to act. Swept into the rout, Sir Guy followed, spurring his destrier viciously to overtake Alinor. It was too late to turn her back. To struggle or delay on the field would draw attackers as a corpse drew crows. He could only hope to protect her. |
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On the field a tight-knit group of men, riding hard, was actually in little danger except from a chance arrow. Llewelyn's and Gwenwynwyn's forces were too |
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